Susan York Meyers is the author of several children’s books, including the picture book, Grrr…Night! for which she won the Creative Women of Oklahoma Award. If you enjoy Susan’s humor, check out Two Little Old Ladies: It’s all in the Attitude, a humorous inspirational book combining both fiction and devotionals. Susan lives with her hubby and Kira, the dog that thinks she’s people. You can find out more about Susan and her books at susanameyers.com. Sign up for her newsletter which comes out four times a year.

Common Sense went “Pouf!” quickly

I knew exactly what I wanted–a simple, white stepstool to use in my closet. I decided on a price range and intended to stick to it. Feeling like a savvy consumer, I logged onto Amazon and confidently used the price filters, so there would be no temptations. Soon, white stepstools filled the screen. Perfect!

Then I spotted it under “Customers who viewed this item also viewed.”It was a beautiful, white Moroccan leather pouf. I instantly fell in love. It would look perfect in my closet. And how practical! The pouf would give me a comfy place to sit. Why I wanted to sit in my closet, I’m not sure, but I know I had my reasons. I imagined sitting on the pouf while slipping on a pair of high-heeled pumps (never mind that I don’t wear high heels, they just seemed to fit the fantasy of the pouf).

Then my eyes fell on the price. Instant fantasy squasher! I squared my shoulders and slipped back to reality and my simple, white stepstool.

But Amazon wasn’t to be defeated so easily. They suggested another pouf, this one closer to my price range. It wouldn’t hurt to look, right? I clicked. This pouf didn’t have the hand-sewn detail that the first one sported. But, it really wasn’t that much more than I’d intended to spend…

However, it didn’t inspire any fantasies.

No problem. Amazon was ready with a third option. I clicked on yet another white pouf. It nudged slightly closer to the dream. And, the price was just a bit more than I’d planned to spend.

Wait a minute.

The price was a little bit more than the price of the first pouf, not the stepstool. It was actually quite a bit more than the price I’d originally planned to spend. Common sense asserted itself. The pouf was huge. It would take up the entire floor of my side of the closet, even if I did fudge a bit onto my hubby’s side. I envisioned balancing on top of the pouf, while trying to put a leg in my jeans. Even if the price of the pouf didn’t give me pause, possible hospital bills did. Not to mention explaining to my husband that it was actually called a pouf.

Falling into the Rabbit Hole of Sin

Amazon had dragged me toward a seductive rabbit hole, and I’d almost fallen in. The slippery slope reminded me of the slippery slope of sin.

It’s just a little white lie.

It’s just an innocent flirtation.

It’s just an interesting human-interest story.

But that little white lie turns into a major deception. The innocent flirtation becomes a full-fledged affair. The interesting human-interest story gets back to someone, and they are devastated.

And we end up blinking and wondering how we got into such a mess. Colossians 3:17 tells us, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

WWJD bracelets may be out of fashion, but the thinking behind them isn’t.

A friend once told me that when her children were little, the family lived in a house with a driveway on an incline. Their children weren’t allowed to ride their bikes into the street. But the rule was: Don’t start down the incline, because once you start, you can’t stop.

Sin is like that. You can’t wait until you’re knee-deep in it to say no. You’ve got to put on the brakes before the deception, before the affair, before the gossip.

Would you say it in front of Jesus? Would you do it in front of Jesus (or your spouse?)

We’re all guilty of nearing the slippery slope, of thinking, “There’s no harm…”

But there is always harm in sin.

Keep me in your thoughts. I’m buying cute little baskets next!

Susan York Meyers is the author of several children’s books, including the picture book, Grrr…Night! for which she won the Creative Women of Oklahoma Award. If you enjoy Susan’s humor, check out Two Little Old Ladies: It’s all in the Attitude, a humorous inspirational book combining both fiction and devotionals. Susan lives with her hubby and Kira, the dog that thinks she’s people. You can find out more about Susan and her books at susanameyers.com. Sign up for her newsletter which comes out four times a year.

A Moment of Panic

“May I use your other bathroom?”

A simple question, but one that threw me into a panic. My carefully cleaned hall bath was in use. That left my definitely not-ready-for-guests master bathroom. In one moment, I had to decide whether to graciously say yes, (oh please, help me to have remembered to close the closet door on our dirty laundry) or plead a lack of toilet paper. I’m not sure which scenario would have left me looking worse, but as I mentioned, I was panicking.

In the end, I let my guest use the bathroom and hoped she ignored the used towels and toothpaste splattered mirror. And please, let her be gracious enough to stay out of my medicine cabinet.

The Medicine Cabinet of the Heart

Bathrooms are truly the great equalizers of life. Want to know a little secret? Everyone hides scary things in their medicine cabinet. The lady who always looks like the wind wouldn’t dare blow her hair stocks Gas Away medicine by the case. The lady who makes you feel like nothing ever goes wrong in her life hides hemorrhoid cream behind her moisturizer. And the woman whose kids call every day, twice on Sundays – well, that little mustache razor doesn’t belong to her hubby.

We often don’t see the ugly in other people’s lives. And unfortunately, that can lead to a type of reverse judging. I see your clean house, supposedly perfect family, and totally put together life and decide my prayers aren’t needed. Why pray for someone who has no real problems?

But if I could look into the medicine cabinet of your heart, I might see a different story.

I’d see a Sunday school teacher who struggles with a substance abuse problem.

A mother whose heart breaks as she prays about the wrong choices her child is making.

Or the woman who, every morning, prays every prayer she has to fight her pain just to get out of bed.

And beneath it all, beneath the embarrassing secrets and heartbreaking pain, is a terror of being judged, especially by her fellow Christians.

I need to start focusing on the heart.

Not because it makes me feel better to know Ms. Perfect also has problems, but because Proverbs 12:25 tells us,

Anxiety weighs down the heart,but a kind word cheers it up.

We all have anxiety and pain. I need to look past your carefully crafted-exterior. I need to see the fellow Christian sister who hurts. I need to throw away the judgement and simply approach with love. I need to be the kind word.

As for that actual medicine cabinet in the bathroom – if you keep your mouth shut about mine, I promise to keep mine shut about yours!

Prayer Over our Hearts

Dear Lord, I don’t need to know all You know. But I pray that You help me to see the needs of others. And, Lord, help me be willing to help, love, and comfort, but never judge. In Your Son’s name, Amen